IKEA is turning everyday moments into a reason to celebrate with a vibrant 12-piece collection of tableware and home objects, designed in collaboration with Swedish designer Gustaf Westman. From porcelain plates and cups to candleholders and lighting, this collection adds a playful twist to festive traditions. Who says you need a special occasion to make life joyful?
Speaking to Schön! about the collaboration, Westman enthusiastically reveals how the process was part of a wider evolution of his design language: “It’s like something that I’ve been working on for a very long time,” he shares. “I’m evolving as a person, and as a designer as well. I feel like it’s going to be an interesting kind of meeting between what I did two years ago [with IKEA] and what I’m doing now.” Bringing his own signature humour to the designs, the collaboration sits somewhere between a joyful, light-hearted style and a signature play on materials. A perfect balance that has come to define Westman’s unique POV. “IKEA was very open to my creative freedom, and I do think that some of the pieces are a bit different from what IKEA usually does,” he tells us. “I’m not trying to take what I do too seriously because I don’t think it is.”
“Celebration often comes with established traditions, and we were curious to explore a more fun and inclusive take,” states Maria O’Brian, IKEA Range Identity Leader. “Teaming up with Gustaf Westman felt like a natural match to help us reimagine the holidays with a twist. His approach to colour and form feels very true to IKEA, but he challenges conventions in a bold, expressive way. We are thrilled to make the work of such an exciting designer accessible to a wider audience.”
Following first collaborations with IKEA, is Gustaf Westman’s very first product design collaboration, and it finds a natural home in IKEA’s annual winter collection, VINTERFINT. The partnership grew from a shared desire to bring a fresh, modern, and inclusive approach to seasonal celebrations. The result? Designs that are relaxed, joyful, and fun, while still tipping a nod to tradition. “When I think about Scandinavian design, I think about simplicity,” he tells Schön!, taking the example of Finnish designer Alvar Alto, whose philosophy of “for every object, one material” came to define the aesthetic of Scandinavian design.
“I think my objects are also like that in some way. I use only one colour, only one material, only one thing that happens. It’s like one movement and it’s very easy to understand. So in that sense, I think it is very minimalistic and Scandinavian. Obviously, when you put them together like this, it creates this kind of maximum/minimalism chaos.”
Curvy, sculptural shapes and confident pops of colour run throughout the collection. The pieces play with festive traditions without being tied to just one holiday. Classic reds and greens nod to familiar celebrations, while bubblegum pink and baby blue bring an unexpected, joyful pop. “For me, this was an opportunity to take traditional holiday decor aesthetics and turn it on its head, instead, introducing a sense of playfulness and boldness,” says Westman. “This is my interpretation of the holidays; it’s a new design for a new generation.”
Playful contrasts are everywhere. Porcelain dining plates, in dark green and pink, mix square forms with soft, round wells at the centre. Each plate shines on its own but also plays beautifully together, forming a mosaic-like family of tableware. Food and togetherness take center stage. To celebrate 40 years of IKEA’s iconic meatball, there’s a dedicated meatball plate that arranges the beloved Swedish staple in a neat, festive row.
“For so many in Sweden, there’s no Christmas without meatballs,” says Westman. “I really wanted to do something with meatballs, from the beginning of the process. I had some other ideas – a spiral where the meatballs were going to roll down, and other designs where the meatballs would pop up from a small door. But in the end, these ideas were like a bit too complicated for the production process. I ended up with this throne for the balls and this design that traps the meatballs inside, and they have like their own place on the table.” Alongside the meatball dish, a porcelain cup and saucer set, perfect for traditional glögg (mulled wine), features an intentionally oversized saucer – inspired by Westman’s memories of his grandmother’s generous holiday baking. There’s plenty of room for biscuits, making it easy to pair drinks and treats for a classic Swedish fika.
Light takes center stage, too. The range includes candlesticks in two colours and porcelain candleholders that echo the same square-and-round motif as the plates. A portable, rechargeable lantern twists into a round, layered orbital shape, while a modern reinterpretation of a classic Swedish candelabra lamp brings a festive glow to any window.
The collection finishes with a bouncy, spiral vase made from a single metal coil twisting into an hourglass shape, holding a separate glass vessel. The two pieces depend on each other, like puzzle pieces, but their playful interaction adds a touch of humour and surprise.
“A rounded form has no clear ending, which I think gives an object more life. This vase is a good example – it has a continuous shape, and it also brings an element of humour with its bounciness. The two parts don’t really look like they need each other, but they do, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It’s that feeling of being a bit unnecessary, but in a fun way,” adds Westman.
The IKEA x Gustaf Westman collaboration will be available exclusively in IKEA stores from 1st October 2025, with availability varying by market. Discover more on the collection here.
